The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman - Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman - ongoing translation

 

It should be noted that the Breslov classic: The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, is actually divided into at least two parts, and the second part is titled: Shivchay Moharan – The Praises of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman.

 

HH

 

The Book of

 

The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

 

 

Title Page

 

He is Rabbainu Hakadosh (our holy Rabbi), the great man of the giants, holy menorah, light of lights, Rabbi of all of Israel, gushing brook source of wisdom (Nachal Noavaya Mikor Chuchman -acronym: NaChMaN), man of G-d, our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Nachman za.tza.va.ka.l. (-memory of the tzaddik and the holy for a blessing), author of the books Likutay Moharan (two volumes), and the book The Attributes (-Sefer Hamidos – Character), and the Legendary Tales, and additional other compilations which are in manuscript, grandson of the supernal holy etc. Rabbi Nachman of Hurridenker za.tza.l., great grandson of the G-dly Tana (-superlative sage), holy of Israel, our teacher, the rav, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov za.tza.va.ka.l., may their merit protect us and all of Israel, amen.

 

In this book will be related a little of his holy life, of his utter toil and exertion in the service of Hashem Yisburach with supremely powerful messeeras nefesh (-self sacrifice), from his childhood days until his passing, until he merited to live true life, life which is truly called life. And it will relate a little of what transpired over him in his holy life, and a little of his holy words which were heard from his holy mouth, and the times that passed over him, as your eyes will see straight out.

 

 

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

“Who will relate the mighty actions of Hashem, make heard all His praise?” (Psalms 106). Who can tell over, who can fathom, all the great, and wondrous, and awesome things done by our master, our teacher, and our rabbi, light of lights, pure, pristine light, the cached, and hidden, and concealed light, with the collective entirety of the souls of Israel, upon whom (/which) are contingent all the worlds. And especially that which he accomplished and did with his men close to him who merited to revel in the holy shade of his shadow, and to hear from his mouth what they heard, matters which Atteek Yoamin (-Ancient of Days – a Supernal Divine Countenance – Daniel 7:9) concealed (Pesachim 119a). And particularly, that which he worked and did with my poor and destitute self, that he erected me from the dust and the dumps, and sat me down next to him, and with his mercy drew me even more, close to him, and placed his hand on me (-approbation, ordination) to receive and to write all his words of Torah, and his discourses, and his legendary tales. All and everything he merited me that it should be written by my hand, and he said explicitly (Chuchma and Beena article 21, and this is a seeming resolution to the query in Yisroel Saba chapter “Above Nature,” that “a little” goes on Rabbi Nussun as well as Rabbi Naftoli) that there is no one that knows from him, except for I (-Rabbi Nussun), a little, and many additional such expressions.

 

And in truth, my soul knows very well what is impossible to tell over whatsoever, and I already wrote a lot, and I told over orally to my friends and my students a very great deal, and thank G-d my words made an impact, with his great power, that the truth entered their hearts like burning fire, and they were aroused plentifully to Hashem Yisburach. And many already went on in holiness and purity and passed away with a good name, from the midst of words of Torah, and prayer, and perfect faith, “their portion is in life (Psalms 17:14),” and those who remain for length of days and years, behold they are strong, with the help of Hashem Yisburach, with the truth and the faith, like a molten mirror (Job 37:17), so that they never slip (Proverbs 10:30).

 

Even still, I know in my soul, that they, also they, need very much my information (Shabbos 55b), and they still don't know the light of the truth of the truth to its truth, completely, properly, as it is implanted in my soul. And similar to the homily of our Rabbis o.b.m. (Sanhedrin 68a), a great deal I learned from my rabbis, and I didn't release from them, just, as a dog which laps from the ocean, and my students didn't withdraw from me etc.. What can I say? For all these words of mine involve the knowledge of the pleasant hisnoatzitzus (-sparkling) of G-dliness in the heart, which is for each one according to what his heart fathoms (Zohar, Beraishis 103b), and these themselves are manifestations of his might, these themselves are manifestations of his awesomeness (Yuma 69b), which he exerted and toiled in His service Blessed He so much until he merited to what he merited, and ascended to the place he ascended, (from) which he drew such deep intellect, deep water advice in the heart of a man (Proverbs 20:5), deep, deep who can find it (Ecclesiastes 7:24), to the extent that with his supreme wisdom and his mighty strength he illuminated with his goodness in the heart of (even) the lowest and degenerate hisnoatzitzus (-sparkling) of conception of the Divine, what is absolutely impossible to relate to a friend. And see that this is a novelty which never was ever, and like it is alluded in the torah (-holy teaching) of “A field of knives” (Likutay Moharan 30), see there, that there is a need for a great rabbi, and wondrous craftsman, and loyal doctor, that can impart conception of the Divine in the heart of such small, such sick, such alienated people.

 

And behold, if literary means and verbal means are insufficient to tell over a thousandth of what is in my heart, even still it is impossible to release nothing, therefore from the day that I merited to draw close, Hashem Yisburach and he encouraged me to engage in writing the awesome revelation of his holy Torah, and Hashem Yisburach strengthened me to always write the matters and conversation that were by each Torah, because I knew that every single word is a complete Torah. However in the beginning I was not yet careful to write all the holy conversations and holy words that left his holy mouth, just those that had pursuance of words of Torah, or were related to some Torah (-holy teaching).

 

Until after a few years of my drawing close to him, Hashem roused my heart to begin to also inscribe some of the words and matters that were heard from his holy mouth then, and little of what was already heard. Also I inscribed some stories and matters of what transpired to him and his men, and a little of the stories of his exertion and toils which he toiled and exerted in the service of Hashem, through which he merited to what he merited, and the order of his journey to the Land of Israel, and some stories and events that took place by each and every Torah and by each Legendary Tale, and how, and through what his mercy was invoked until he opened his holy mouth and revealed what he revealed.

 

And even though with all of these it is impossible to explain and illustrate well in writing the nature of the matter as it was when it took place, even still I did not abstain from writing and inscribing all that is possible to inscribe, and one who has acute intelligence will understand from his own intellect a little of the nature of the matter, all this and perhaps the future generations will merit to know all the fantastic and wondrous feats which were done for us by the Master of All, Who conducts every generation with His kindness, the schemes of His heart (stand) for generation and generation (Psalms 33:11), Who does novelties all the time, so that His name will be proclaimed in all the land, so that they will rouse in every generation to return to Him Blessed He, for He already cleared a correct way before us by his hand o.b.m., so that from now on whoever desires to approach the holy, can easily draw close to Him blessed He, by the ways explained in his holy books. Fortunate is one who adheres to them, “till in them, till in them, age and wear out in them, and do not budge from them, for there is no measure better than them (Ethics of Our Fathers 5:22).”

 

Behold all this my eye saw (Job 13:1, 33:29), that it is His will blessed He to inscribe everything in a book, therefore it has been some time now that I took it to my heart to write and inscribe every conversation, and word, and matter, and story that rises in my memory, and these are the very things written in this book. And I called the name of this composition by the name “Life of <Cha'yay> Moa.Ha.Ra.N. [-acronym: <Moarainoo> Our Teacher/Guide <virabbainu> and Leader/Rabbi, Rabbi Nachman], since most of it speaks of his holy life, of what transpired over him in the holy days of his life, and the life which he lived in the world. For he was a truly live man who had no counterpart, and he constantly lived true life, and every time he lived new life, as was heard from his holy mouth, that one time he exclaimed, “I lived today life, such life which I have never lived,” and then he began to reveal a little outline of the torah (Likutay Moharan 18) “Kartulleesuh – A Chest,” as is noted in this book, further on in its place (article 8). And similarly a few times I heard from him o.b.m. wondrous glorification regarding his life, and regarding the degradation of the life of the world who don't consider their tachlis (-ultimate purpose), and also with the life of the world there are innumerable variations, as is explained a little, further on.

 

The general principle is, that the essential life is the true life which is true wisdom, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 7), “Wisdom give life to its possessor.” And the main wisdom is to strive and toil to know and recognize Him Blessed He, for He is life of life (chay hachayim). And everyone, according to his proximity to this, so is his life life, and vice versa. And therefore (Brachos 18b) evil people (even) in their lifetime are called (-considered) dead, and vice versa, tzaddikim (even) in their death are called (-considered) alive, for they are always bound in true life, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4), “And you (plural) who are clinging to Hashem your G-d, you are all alive today.” And it is for this life that we pray copiously on Rosh Hashana (-Jewish New Years) and Yom Kippur, “remember us for life,” “and inscribe for life,” because aside from this, everything is vain, and there is no life whatsoever. And regarding this life it says (Deuteronomy 5), “so that you live,” (Deuteronomy 8), “so that your days are plentiful etc.,” (Deuteronomy 5:30), “so that you live.” {censored: However life such as merited by him o.b.m., have still not been experienced by any person in the world}. Fortunate is he who merits to feel a little of the sparkling (hisnoatzitzus) of the pleasantness of his life which he lived, long life, truly good life, as is understood from the story (-Rabbi Nachman's stories, published under the title: Legendary Tales, story 13) of the Seven Beggars, which regarding this life, King David r.i.p. beseeched (Psams 16), “Give me to know the way of life etc..”

 

In this book are written all the stories that we heard from his holy mouth, also some of the conversation and narrative that we heard from his holy mouth, because his words are entirely Torah. Also some incidents that happened and transpired between him and his adherents. And from all of them the intellectual will understand his utter greatness and amplitude of his extremely phenomenal holiness, what the mouth cannot speak nor the heart reckon, and the intellectual at this time will be quiet and silent, and everyone according to what their heart fathoms, will understand an infinitesimal bit, less than a drop of the ocean. And even what we heard and saw, we did not present here, just a tiny bit alludingly. And because of the utter strife that they fought (/multiplied) ardently against him, we are forced to put a restraint to our mouths, so as not to relate his praise. And the utter magnitude of his holiness and loftiness is very loftier and superior than our intellect.

 

However, even this minute fragment that we merited to know and understand a little, is impossible to tell over completely because of the great strife, even though it would be beneficial for the world, I just inscribed this for the future generations, and for the coming days which are approaching peacefully, so that it should not be forgotten from our mouths and the mouths of our progeny. In order that the future generations know how greatly cherished (the Nation of) Israel is before Hashem Yisburach, that they merited in the last generations to such lucid and pure light, the light that is cached (ohr haganuz) and hidden. Fortunate is the eye that saw him, fortunate is the ear that heard from his mouth his holy words. And one who studies his holy books in depth will have a slight understanding of his utter holiness.

 

The words of the writer, the small Nussun son of my master, my father, our teacher Rav Naftoli Hertz y.t.v. (-may his Bastion protect him and give him life) of Nemorov.

 

And I request of the reader not to be astonished if he finds sometimes in our words some conversations and stories of Rabbainu o.b.m. that are written here which appear to be simple things, and sometimes they seemingly have no explanation whatsoever, and it will be difficult in his eyes, for what (purpose) were they written. However, in reality, in all the words, and conversations, and stories that are written here, there are inherent matters behind all of them, and whoever merited to stand before him and hear from his mouth the matters and the conversations, it would misnoatzaitz (-glimmer) for him a little, and he would see and understand a little that they are very supernal and lofty, and he would be aroused to Hashem Yisburach by each and every word that left his mouth with wondrous holiness and purity. And because of this I wasn't able to hold back from writing and jotting down a few stories and words for a remembrance, and even though there are in them a few words that the reader will not understand the gist of them, even still (Yevumos 30a regarding a mishna that is seemingly redundant) the mishna does not move from it's place.

 

And whoever desires the truth can find in most of the words, wondrous matters, and many, many wondrous awakenings for the service of Hashem Yisburach, and many aitzoas (-directives, advice, remedies), and much succor, which will strengthen a person immensely not to despair of himself in any way, and so forth, because (Deuteronomy 32), “It is not a vain matter for you,” and if it is vain, (that is only) from you (Jerusalem Talmud Peah), for even the simple words of Rabbainu o.b.m., the great and the holy, they introduce great light, and they have great power to arouse the whole world to His service blessed He, which was the concern Rabbainu o.b.m. was entirely preoccupied with all the days of his holy life. It was also heard from his holy mouth, that even his simple words need to be written, because in each and every statement of his, there are (in them) extremely deep intentions, and they are great generalizations (-principles that incorporate all, and are all encompassing), and every person can extract from them wondrous aitzoas (-advice, remedies) and upright practices for His service blessed His name.

 

[The transcriber says, regarding the hiddenness of the great and wondrous light of the Ad.m.ur. (-hasidic master) o.b.m., which a novelty like him has yet to be, even in the earlier generations, as we heard from his holy mouth, that he said so explicitly, and in the end he became so hidden, in the utmost

hiddenness and concealment to the extent that most of the world do not merit to come upon his holy grave, which is their entire eternal rectification, a hint to this can be found in his holy words, that he said that his entire occupation is Rosh Hashana, and regarding Rosh Hashana it is written (Psalms 81:4), “in the designated time <backesseh /concealed> for the day of our festival,” as our Sages o.b.m. explicated (Rosh Hashana 8a; backesseh can also mean, in the concealed, because Rosh Hashana occurs on the first of the lunar month when the moon is concealed), and therefore his great wondrous light is hidden and concealed so very much as well, to the extent that all the people of the world do not merit to come to his grave and pray there, and like our Sages o.b.m. said (Sota 14a, this was censored from some editions of the Talmud), why is the grave of Moshe hidden from the world etc., it comes out that (Deuteronomy 34:6), “no man knew the grave of Moshe,” so that they wouldn't be able to come upon his grave, to pray there, and so too the grave of the Ad.m.u.r. o.b.m. is hidden as well from the world by means of the great contention, even though the place of his burial is known, so that they also will not be able to come there to pray there. May there be [Divine] Will that the truth will be revealed in the world, and his holiness will be made famous in the world, and then the redemption will come, very soon in our days, amen].

 

נַ נַחְ נַחְמָ נַחְמָן מאומן

 

 

 

 

HH

 

The Book of

 

The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

 

 

Words That Pertain to the Toaroas (-holy teachings)

 

Words, and stories, and events that were by each Torah and Tale

 

1.

 

(1.) The Torah “With Trumpets” (Likutay Moharan, Torah 5) he said on Rosh Hashana here in Breslov in the year (5)563 [27-28 September, 1802], and Rosh Hashana occurred then on Monday and Tuesday. And it was the first Rosh Hashana of his residence here, and of my drawing close to him.

 

And it was then when it was heard in the world the edicts that they wanted to decree in the world which were issued in our days, due to our numerous sins, that is, to conscript the Children of Israel into the army, may the Merciful One save us from now on, because these edicts began to develop in the days of the sovereignty of Poland before the C.eer.a. [Czar may his splendor rise] of Russia conquered our country, and afterwards, at the beginning of his domination over our country the matter was silent for a bit, and afterwards it returned and arose and it was heard in the world that they want to decree a batch of decrees which are called poonkiteen.

 

It was then that Rabbainu o.b.m. said the Torah ( “With trumpets (bichatzroatzoas)” and it begins: “For a person needs to say, 'the entire world was not created, only for me' etc. and to fill the deficiency of the world, and to pray for them to Hashem Yisburach etc. that is before the edict (gizar din) etc.” see there, and this alludes to the aforementioned edicts.

 

(And see the book Parpiru'oas Lichuchma where it is written: “And I heard from my father o.b.m. that Rabbainu o.b.m. hinted then that it was already after the edict. Yet even still Rabbainu za.tza.l. engaged copiously throughout the year to mitigate (lit. sweeten) the judgment, until through this (-the methods revealed in this holy teaching) he accomplished with his prayer that the matter was supressed, and the edict did not go into effect until sixteen years after his passing. And there is a great deal to tell over about this, and it will be explicated elsewhere (below article 6), see there.

 

And our fellow elder votaries told over that they heard then from Rabbainu o.b.m. who said in these words: “Ich <I> hub <have> dus up dishtuempt oyf <pushed this off> etlicheh uen tzvantzig <twenty and some> yuhr <years>.” And so it was precisely, because from the year of the delivery of the aforementioned Torah until the year the edict went into effect in the end of the year (5)587 there is a sum of twenty five years.)

 

 

 

2.

 

(2.) The Torah (Likutay Moharan, Torah 6) “Call Joshua,” he said on Shabbos Teshuva (-”the Sabbath of Repentence” between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) which was after the aforementioned Rosh Hashana.

 

And he mentioned then, close to the beginning of the Torah, the verse (Ezekiel 1), “And on the throne an image with the appearance of a man upon it from above.” (And afterwards, in his holy handwriting, this verse is not mentioned until close to the end, as is explicated in the book, see there). At that time he grasped, with both his hands, the two arm rests of the chair he was sitting on, and he was swaying with the chair, and he said with trepidation, and fear, and with extremely formidable meseeras nefesh (self sacrifice) these words: “When <uz> one sits <men zitz> on a chair <oyf dehr shtil>, then <demult> he is a man <iz men amentch>,” and the words are extremely abstruse (the transcriber says: see Zohar, Tazreyah page 48).

 

And afterwards he finished this entire awesome Torah (-holy teaching) which is printed in the book. And when he said the Torah he did not speak at all of the matter of the kavanos (-Lurian kabalistic intentions) of Elul (the Jewish month devoted to repentance, which precedes the New Years), just afterwards, when he finished saying this Torah, after he prayed Arvis (the night prayer) and made havdala (the ritual which separates the end of Sabbath from the beginning of the new week), afterwards he returned and spoke of this Torah, as was his practice always, and he then spoke up and said to the dignified men and elders that were sitting by him then, who prayed from the siddur (prayerbook) of the Arizal, “Tell me how in the aforementioned Torah are alluded all the kavanos of Elul,” and they were silent and did not answer, because in reality it is impossible in any way to understand by themselves how the secret of the kavanos of Elul are alluded to in the aforementioned Torah.

 

And he commanded to bring before him the siddur of the Arizal, and he opened it, and he displayed before them the kavanos of Elul. And afterwards he opened his holy and awesome mouth and began to reveal wonders, how all the kavanos of Elul are alluded there in an extremely wondrous and awesome way, as this explicated in the book, but it is impossible to describe in writing the depth of heart, all the pleasantness and wonders of the Temim Dayim (-Perfect Knower – Job 37:16) that I felt then, when I merited to hear all of this.

 

He also spoke after Sabbath of the aforementioned Torah which speaks there of Moses and Joshua and the Ohel Moa'ed (“Meeting Tent” - the Tabernacle) which are the aspects of the upper point (Moses), lower point (Joshua), and vuv (- the Hebrew letter vuv which is a vertical line, and in the letter Aleph it runs diagonally down from left to right between the two points mentioned above, and corresponds to the Ohel Moa'ed). And then he said to me these words, “that in every place that a Rabbi (-teacher) and a student get together, this aspect is made, the aspect of Moses, and Joshua, and the Ohel Moa'ed.”

 

And behold, all this was at the beginning of my drawing close to him, and at that time I still did not merit to write up before him the large Toaroas (-holy teachings), just the short homilies I wrote by myself, not before him, and I was yearning for a long time to receive this Torah by him, in his holy handwriting, and I didn't merit this until after Purim (March 8, 1803), which I was by him then in Medivedivikeh. And then I sat before him and I copied this Torah before him, and from his mouth he read to me from his holy handwritten book, and I wrote (it all down) on paper.

 

And some time shortly thereafter, at night, I stood before him when he had already sat on his bed and wanted to sleep, and I spoke with him then at length, and then he revealed to me the three mitzvos that (the Children of) Israel were commanded to do upon entering the Land, which appertains to this, as it is printed in its place there, see there. And he concluded then and said, that all these three mitzvos are the aspect of repentance, as is printed there. And then I asked him how these three mitzvos are the aspect of repentance, and he replied and said, “dus <this> zug doo <you should say> shoyn <already – it is sufficient for you to say – provide - the reasoning>,” and with this I then went from his presence o.b.m., and immediately I began to contemplated this, and immediately on my way from my (t.n. probably should be: his) house to my lodgings, Hashem Yisburach availed me with comely novelties for this, and when I came to my lodgings I found, with the help of Hashem Yisburach, writing utensils, and right away I wrote what Hashem and graced me for this, and this was the beginning of my training (/initiation) to develop novelties from his holy Torah, that he trained (/initiated) me with his mercy and wondrous ways. And the next day I brought before him what I had written, and it was good in his eyes, and he laughed from happiness, and he spoke up and said, “You <doo> can <vest kennen> learn <lehrnin>, if <az> you <doo> will be <vest> diligent <ba'gehrin>,” but even still, afterwards I was forced to cease from developing novelties until I would learn a lot of poasaik (-arbitrator of halacha- Jewish law), and afterwards books of kabbalah etc., until afterwards he commanded me to come up with novelties, and afterwards he commanded me to write, as all this will be explicated elsewhere (below article 435).

 

 

 

3

(3.) Before he said the Torah “Mishpatim (judgments) Emunah (faith)” (Likutay Moharan, Torah 7), I heard from him o.b.m. the Torah “Tzoahar (a light; window or radiant stone) make for the ark (Genesis 6; Torah 112),” and I wrote what heard, as is printed in that Torah. However, afterwards he said the Torah “Tihoamoas (the depth) yichasyoomoo (will cover them)” (Exodus 15; Torah 9), and the aforementioned Torah “Tzoahar” is included there. And the Torah “Tihoamoas yichasyoomoo (The depth will cover them)” was said on Sabbath Sheera (singing – the Sabbath on which the Torah portion of Bishalach is read, which contains the “Uz Yusheer” - the song the Jews sang to Hashem after the miracle of the splitting of the sea) 5563 (13^th of Shevat; Feb. 5, 1803), on (his) travels, and afterwards he began to say the aforementioned Torah “Mishpatim (judgments),”and he said it piece by piece.

 

And at that time, he told over that the Baal Shem Tov o.b.m. was by him, and told him that when one maculates the Land of Israel he falls into exile, and an indication (to this): “From there shepherds the stone <evven – interpreted as “av-ben” - father-son, Jacob and his twelve sons> of Israel (Genesis 49).” And he asked us to tell him an interpretation on that vision, and we did not know anything to answer him. Afterwards I showed him the Torah “Tzoahar (a light) make for the ark (Torah 112),” which I had written, as mentioned above, and he saw and looked at it, (and) afterwards he said, “from my students (I have learned) more than all of them (-teachers and friends; taanis 7a),” (in other words, that now he understands through me the interpretation of the aforementioned vision of the Baal Shem Tov o.b.m.), because now I know the matter well.

 

And afterwards he finished the Torah “Mishpatim (judgments; Torah 7).” And there it speaks of faith and the Land of Israel, that when one vitiates the Land of Israel, the faith, one descends into the exile of Egypt. And I asked him if this was relevant to the aforementioned vision, (and) he answered that the matter of the vision he already concluded earlier to conceive (the matter) completely. And afterwards I received from him the Torah “The Depth Covered Them (Ti'hoamoas Yichasyoomoo; Torah 9),” and there as well, the Torah “Tzohar (light; Torah 112)” is included, and there as well, at the end, is explicated that the violation of the Land of Israel causes descent into exile, and there, at the end, is an explanation of the verse “from there shepherds the stone <evven – av'ben – father'son; Jacob and the twelve tribes which are the gates of prayer, prayer being the aspect of faith-miracles-Israel, the opposite of exile> of Israel.” And now it is possible to slightly understand the meaning of the aforementioned vision.

 

 

 

4

(4.) When he said the Torah “I saw a golden menorah (Zecharia 4; Torah 8),” on the Sabbath of Chanuka 5563 (30 Kislev; Dec. 25, 1802), and there it speaks of how to topple and put down the wicked, the aspect of (Psalms 147:6) “(He) puts down the wicked to the ground,” see there, and then at that time he felled and put down a certain notorious wicked person who was in Nemerov, from whom our fellow votaries suffered, and they had told (this) before him o.b.m.. And after Chanuka, after he said the aforementioned Torah on the Sabbath of Chanuka, the aforementioned wicked man had a great downfall.

 

Also then, he said a quip, “When you travel and they will ask you, 'What did you accomplish?' Say, 'We accomplished ruach etc. <wind – as if to fall prey to the taunt, and say they accomplished 'hot air' – emptiness>,' and this in fact is the reality, that we accomplished ruach chaim <life spirit which powers the pulse> which we received from him, to fill all deficiencies, as is explicated in the aforementioned Torah. Also, after saying the Torah, he danced a lot, because that year he danced a lot, on a few occassions.

 

 

 

5

(5.) The toaroas (holy teachings) which were said on the homilies of Rabba bar bar Chunu (Bava Basra 73; Likutay Mohara 1-15), Rabbainu o.b.m. said, that he said them in the name of their sayer (-author), that is in the name of Rabba bar bar Chunu himself. Also when he began to reveal Toaroas (-holy teachings) on the homilies of Rabba bar bar Chunu (then) he told over that Rabba bar bar Chunu came to him, and greeted him, and said (to him) why doesn't he pay attention to his homilies, and requested of him for this, that he devote his attention to them, and he (Rabba bar bar Chunu) will reveal to him wondrous awesome novelties in them.

 

 

 

6

(6.) Torah 16 (of Likutay Moharan), “Rabbi Yoachanan told over (Buva Basra 74a):” This Torah he said in the morning of a Sabbath in middle of the summer of 5563 (1803).

 

At that time, unexpectedly they (-followers of Rabbi Nachman) gathered by him for that Sabbath, because then there wasn't any designated time for a keebootz (gathering – in Israel they took this Breslov term for the name of their collective communities) (as is explained elsewhere (below #126) that the main set time of congregation and the keebootz according to his volition was six times a year), and at first he was slightly piqued, and he said that we are making for ourselves Sabbaths. That is, because he himself made and set for us Sabbaths to come to be with him then, and now we made for ourselves a keebootz for Sabbath.

 

And afterwards he said, “I had wanted to do something about the edicts which are called poonkitin (forced conscription into the army) which are heard in the world, that they want to decree on Israel, G-d forbid,” that is, he wanted to engage in mitigating them and nullifying them. “However, when I am alone, what am I? For I by myself am a simple person, therefore the people assembled unexpectedly so that I will be able to do what I need to do for this.”

 

And he said then the concept which is printed in Torah 166, that by Elisha, in one instance it is written plainly Elisha, and in one instance (Kings II 4:27): “the man of G-d.” And there is (an explication in the Zohar, Exodus 44a) that when he was by himself he is called Elisha plainly, and when the school of prophets were by him he is called “The Man of G-d” (apparently this was the version of the Zohar known then, in the Zohar we have, the explanation is the opposite).

 

And he said then Torah (-holy discourse), twice. On the night of Sabbath he said the Torah (Likutay Moharan 24) “The Middle of the World, Where Is It?” which speaks there of the nine chambers which cannot be clung to, and cannot be known, and no one can substantiate them etc., and in the morning, at the morning feast, he said the aforementioned Torah (#24), which is, “Rabbi Yoachanan told over etc. and its eyes resemble two moons.” And he said then that there are seventy nations, and they are included in Esau and Ishmael; that this one includes

 

 

15 - Rabbi Nachman's visit which he said opened the gates to make it much easier for everyone else to get there[1].

 

16 - Summer of 5569/1809. See Yimay Moharnat, volume 1, article 36 (in some older editions 28). After her husband R. Pinchas passed away without children, his brother R. Michel did yeeboom and married her (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 16). (R.A.K.).

 

25

Regarding[2]

After Rabbainu o.b.m. said over this teaching mentioned above, he said a clever quip:

Today I said three things contrary to what the world says:

a)      The world says that telling over stories is propitious to induce sleep. And I said that telling over stories is propitious to arouse people from their slumber.

b)     The world says that from talking about things nothing can be born. And I said that the tzadik’s talking about things arouses people from their sleep, which causes barren women to conceive.

c)      The world says that the true Tzadik of towering stature doesn’t need a lot of money, because why does he need money? And I said that a true Tzadik needs all the fortune of the world.

(The transcriber says: I heard in the name of a person of the followers of Rabbainu o.b.m. who heard from his holy mouth regarding what his desire was that they should publish the stories also in the Yiddish (“translation”) language which we spoke, and he said then, that it is possible for it to be very easy for a barren woman to read from them any story and through this she would be favorably remembered (-conceive) and would merit to have children, end of quote. And there is support for this from what is explained in the aforementioned teaching (maamar) that through these stories there are made conceptions of barren women).

 

33 and 162

In Rabbi Nussun’s autobiography, Yimay Moharnat – The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun, he describes at length the events surrounding the revelation of Torah-lesson “Azamra” (see also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 33). This is all included in chapter 26 which begins with a declaration that he will relate how the holy book Likutay Moharan came to be published. Rabbi Nussun then proceeds to relate how in the summer of 567 (1807) Rabbi Nachman’s wife passed away, and Rabbi Nachman contracted a lung disease and immediately began to talk of his own demise, he said his health was in grave danger and exhorted everyone to pray for him. Amongst other things, he spoke of the need of having 60 warriors surrounding him and of his desire to be buried in Israel if it would have been feasible (as is also documented in The Life of Our Master Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 162). Two days after Yom Kippur 568 (which was a Wednesday) Rabbi Nachman initiated the

 

34

a story is recounted of Rabbi Nachman, on the day before the last Rosh Hashana of his life, someone asked him for advice how to merit to diligence in Torah study. Rabbi Nachman told him that he should not speak (bad) of any Jew (see the explanation there, and Sichos Huran 91). The person asked Rabbainu, what if he sees that he is a completely wicked person? Rabbainu strongly admonished him, how he could suggest that one from (the nation of) Israel is completely wicked, for certainly there is still found in him a bit of good or some good point where he is not wicked, and he recalled the matter of, "a bit more and there is no wicked" which is explained in the Torah-lesson of Azamru, see there. Based on this, Saba wrote in Blossoms of the Spring (volume 3, letter 268. In the early printings see volume 2, letter 119), "Also he should be careful not to speak (bad) of any one of (the nation of) Israel, just on the contrary, he should strive with all this strength to find merit and good in each one of Israel; and even if he seems Heaven forbid, to be completely wicked, he should strive to find in him good points where he is not wicked, until every one of Israel is beautiful and pleasant in his eyes."

 

 

46 - Saba Yisroel Dov Odesser o.b.m., whom Rabbainu was referring to when he said[3], "My fire will burn until the coming of the Messiah[4]

 

 

48 - Also when Rabbainu went to the Baal Hatanya immediately upon his return from Israel, he turned down his host's request for him to deliver Torah, and the Baal Hatanya proceeded to deliver Torah for 8 (or 6) hours, and Rabbainu hinted afterwards to his followers that this was improper (Avunehu Barzel, Words and Stories of Rabbainu o.b.m. 46, and transcriptions of Saba Yisroel Dov Odesser o.b.m.). Also see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 48, about when a very famous rabbi visited Rabbainu a year before his passing, Rabbanu didn't want to deliver Torah, see there.

 

 

55 - "This I know already, that when a person wants to do some matter of holiness and he has impediments on this etc.," as all this explained further on.[5]

 

 

59

And he said to his men (on the first night of Shavuos, Saturday Night 5569 – Life of Rabbi Nachman 59, also see there 264): Give your hearts to me and I will lead you on a new path, which is the old path which our forefathers traversed from time immemorial; and he revealed to us that there is no remedy to be saved from the utter overwhelming (bad) inclination, that always quests and desires to cause man to stumble (-violate the Torah), except through hisbodidus, which every person wherever he may be, whenever, and whatever level he may be, as each one knows the wounds of his heart and the pains of his soul, should set for himself a special place to pour out his heart there before Him Blessed He about everything that he is going through, in our vernacular, and to request of Him that He should draw him close to His service Blessed his, and He should help him so that he is not ensnared in the net of the Accuser, Heaven forbid. And even if Heaven forbid he has already stumbled in what he violated, if he doesn't despair of himself from screaming and praying to Hashem Yisburach, he will certainly merit to rise from his fall. And he said in this language: “Even (afeelloo) when one falls (az men falt) into a mire (in ablutteh arrayn) one screams and screams and screams (shrayt men un men shrayt un men shrayt).” And so he spoke more of this in many many verbiages.

 

 

Rabbi Nachman revealed that saying the following ten chapters of Psalms together serves as a Tikun Klali – a general rectification: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150. [Likutay Moharan vol. 1, 205; vol. 2, 92; Sefer Hameedoas, Nocturnal Emission 5, Words of Rabbi Nachman 141; Life of Rabbi Nachman 59, 162, 184, 225. “General Rectification” - Likutay Moharan 29]. Many Jews say these every day.

 

 

83

“It is a great merit for a person when he merits to have his thoughts roam in the words of our extremely holy and awesome Rebbe o.b.m. of whom there is no equal, and it is impossible to relate his holy praise so as not to tarnish his honor Heaven forbid, and all that is found in our words, any praise of our extremely holy and awesome Rebbe o.b.m., it is necessary to know that it is all likened to nothing, and it isn’t even like a drop of the ocean, because it is completely impossible to relate his praise, because he was hidden with the utmost concealment from human intellect, and even great tzadikim can not conceive a fraction of his stature. And we don not have conception or grasp of him whatsoever, except through the few wondrous Toaroas (-holy teachings) which revealed in his holy books, and the awesome stories, and from this each one, according to how much his heart can fathom, can understand slightly, a bit of the extent of the powerful height of his holiness, beyond limit. Fortunate is one born from a woman who merits to such a height which is elevated high and above, what a mouth can not say, and a heart can not contemplate (end of quotation).

 

 

107

And in the book "The Life of Rabbi Nachman" (107, The Place He Lived and His Journeys 4), it is written: One time, after he had become famous, Rabbi Shimon travelled with Rabbainu o.b.m. by way of the town of Ossaitin, where Rabbainu o.b.m. had exerted himself in his great devotions, in the house of his father-in-law, where he lived (there), and he traveled with him by way of the fields and so forth, and Rabbainu o.b.m. was yearning very much, and he said, "How good it was before me over here, for in every step and step I felt the taste of Gan (-Garden of) Eden." For there, in those roads, he would often go and do hisbodidus. And he was nostalgic and yearning very much, and he said, "Behold here it was very good before me, and for what do I need the present fame?" Also another time he told over before me, that when he was in his youth, when he went to do hisbodidus somewhere, in the forest or in the field, when he returned from there, the whole world was new in his eyes, and it seemed to him as if it was a completely different world, and the world did not appear in his eyes at all as it had previously.

 

 

107

The person who merits to accustom himself to truly do hisbodidus and express his words before Hashem Yisburach properly, especially if he merits to do hisbodidus in the fields and forests, (then he) will feel with every single step he takes there, the taste of paradise (Gan Eden). Also subsequently when he returns from there, (then) the whole world will be brand new in his eyes, and it will appear to him as if it is a different world, completely new, and the world will not appear at all in his eyes as it had before.

 

 

 

115 And he was full of suffering from inside and out[6].

 

117, in 5565/1805 on the Shabbos before the marriage of Rabbainu's daughter Miriam, they sang a melody which invites all the souls of the tzadikim of their lineage who had passed away etc., and in the evening Rabbainu boasted that he still had not used the merit of his fathers, and what was in the Land of Israel (i.e. referring to what is recounted here) was on the contrary, a favor for them.

 

Rabbi Aryeh Leib of Volitshisk za.tza.l. from the greatest disciples of the Magid of Mezritch - his son, Rabbi Pinchas got engaged to Miriam, the third daughter of Rabbainu o.b.m. in Elul 5560/1800, and the wedding was in Cheshvon 5565/1804 (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 117). (R.A.K.).

 

 

126

What can I tell you, there is nothing greater than this [to be by Rabbi Nachman's tomb for Rosh Hashana], and if other tzadikim didn't say this, so that's another question (i.e. people have had all types of questions and problems with Rabbi Nachman, so just mark this up as another...). [Life of Rabbi Nachman 126, 220, 406]

 

 

article 129, it recounts that Rabbi Shimon, the first follower of Rabbainu, escorted Rabbainu till Medzhybizh, there Rabbi Shimon got sick and couldn't continue. It is also brought down there that on the way to Medzhybizh, upon R. Shimon's request they went by way of Vilkhovets (-there are quite a few towns in the Ukraine with this name, but the only one that I found that satisfactorily fits the parameters of being on the way to Medzhybizh is Vil'khovets', Cherkas'ka oblast, 20260, which is apx. 130 km west of Medvedivka, and 285 km east of Medzhybizh) where they picked up another man who joined them. In Medzhybizh Rabbainu visited his parents.

 

article 129, Rabbainu told Rabbi Shimon that the Baal Shem Tov (who is buried in Medzhybizh, but Rabbainu hadn't visited the tomb) appeared to him at night and told him to travel to Kaminitz, and to stay there for 8-10 days, see there at length.

 

article 130, it is brought down, that when Rabbainu returned from Kaminitz, on Shabbos he said a Torah on the verse (Psalms 63), "My soul binds after You," and extremely wondrous Torah, and he boasted of himself profusely saying, "And if when I just came from Kaminitz I am saying such Torah, when I came from the Land of Israel all the very more so that I will merit to reveal very much more awesome Torah." And in article 131 there, it is brought down that when he returned from Kaminitz one of his daughters passed away, and he said, "Like this and like this, Heaven forbid, should pass away by me, for (even) one movement that is different by me from before I was in Kominitz to after I was there," may Hashem save us.

 

 

article 132, it says that Rabbainu traveled by way of Nikolayev and Kherson to Odessa, and he spent the holiday of Shavuos (6-7 Sivan – 21-22 May, 1798) in Kherson. Kherson is another 90 km south east of Nikolayev, completely out of the way, so either Rabbainu had something to do there, or he chose it as the best nearby place to spend Shavuos (Kherson is very similar to Har Sin – Mount Sinai (In the Torah sometimes Sinai is refered to as Sin) where the Torah was given!). There we are told that Rabbainu delivered wondrous Torahs and he heard the thundering of the Receiving of the Torah, see there at length (there is actually a town in Israel by this name, see Talmud, Moed Kutun 3b and Rashi there, and Zevuchim 110b).

It is also brought down there, in the uncensored version, that over there, followers of the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, brought before him Torahs from there Rebbe, and Rabbainu refuted his words before his followers, and showed them that it was not so as he said (Also, see Siach Sarfay Kodesh (5:64) That Rabbainu asked him why he is teaching esoteric Kabala to his people, because Rabbainu had spoken with some/many of them, and they came to speak about kabala, and he asked them a question, and they didn't answer appropriately. This in fact was one of the problems R.A.Kalisker had.).

Even still we find that Rabbainu had great respect for the first Lubavitcher Rebbe (see Avunehu Barzel 46, that Rabbainu called him "Saar (-minister) Hu'elef (-of a thousand)" [However, it should be noted that Rabbainu said of the Rabbi Baruch, another adversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, that he is a "Saar" over tens of thousands of souls – Siach Sarfay Kodesh 3:90, 4:626, Stories from Shmuel Horowitz 1], and in Siach Sarfay Kodesh (2:147) Rabbainu called him a true talmid chucum (-Torah scholar) and thus kept goading a benefactor to give a much greater donation to him as befitting a true talmid chuchum, and in the Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 324, and in Siach Sarfay Kodesh 2:109, Rabbainu acknowledged that he was one of the leading producers of original Torah insights of the generation. Therefore, it is definitely unacceptable to say or certainly write anything slighting his honor G-d forbid.

All of this is extremely pertinent and significant here because one of the things Rabbainu accomplished on this voyage was to make a truce between the first Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rabbi Avrohom Kalisker of Tiberius. R.A.Kalisker was vehemently against the printing of the Tanya, and he wrote letters to the Bal (author of) Hatanya explaining how this was against the teachings and the holy ways of the Bal Shem Tov and Magid of Medzhrizh. This conflict jeopardized almost the entire Jewish establishment in the Holy Land which depended almost completely on the funds sent to them from the diaspora, of which R.A.Kalisker was in charge of distributing, and as long as he banned the printing of the Tanya, the Bal Hatanya was not wont to send the funds.

Further on in this book the reader will see the great acclaim Rabbainu had for R.A.Kalisker, saying that he was the only tzadik that he had seen that had perfection, and Rabbainu greatly praised his Torah. The conversations between Rabbainu and R.A.Kalisker are not known, but apparently their conclusion was not to uphold the ban against the printing of the Tanya. Unfortunately all the reasons that R.A.Kalisker had for opposing its printing also came to fruition, the rest of this sentence has been omitted as the intention is only to promote improvement, peace, and harmony. [It should be noted that the Maggid of Medzhrizh had tried to steer his young disciple primarily towards the study of halacha, and he directed him (in a letter written to him in 5530/1769, printed in Magid Devurav Li-Yaakov pg. 618) to only study Kabbala at night, and not to ponder its difficulties just to ask all his uncertainties to him (-the Maggid), or his son. Rabbi Nachman also emphasized the study of halacha as a safeguard for correct holy study, as explained at length elsewhere.]

Upon Rabbainu's return from the Holy Land he (did not even get out of the wagon, but) proceeded immediately to Liadi to speak with the Bal Hatanya about this (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 113, Avunehu Barzel 46 see there at length). However, in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 150, there is a letter from R.A.Kalisker to Rabbainu complaining that they still have not received the funds.

 

 

133, it says that Rabbainu made him a messenger to his grandfather Rabbi Nachman of Hordenke whose buried in Tiberius, and afterwards when he was longer able to (-possibly because his father-in-law figured out that he was making the predawn excursions, as is related in the reference in the next note), he needed to go to Israel to speak in person with his grandfather to set up a different method.

 

In the Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 133, it says that one of the reasons Rabbainu wanted to go to Israel was to fulfill all the mitzvos of the Holy Land and to combine all the mitzvos of the Holy Land together with all the mitzvos of chutz lu-uretz and fulfill them spiritually, and we know that Rabbainu achieved everything he set out to do in Israel immediately upon walking four cubits. So already he had attained the know-how of fulfilling all the mitzvos spiritually, so what is being described here, is something even more esoteric and complex, to actually fulfill the mitzvos physically while operating almost solely from a spiritual plane.

 

 

134 - because promptly and immediately he attained what he attained, because he said[7], that immediately when he walked four cubits in the land of Israel[8], he accomplished what he desired to attain

 

133-5 Rabbainu did reveal different things that he merited to in Israel. E.g. previously in part 1, article 22, it says that in Israel he merited to be completely good etc. see there. And in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman it provides a few other reasons. In article 133 it says that he wanted to fulfill all the mitzvos of the Land of Israel see there at length (see notes on the end of article 22). Also it says that Rabbainu had to visit his grandfather who is buried in Tiberius, to set up a method of communication between them, as noted in part 1, end of article 20. In article 134 it gives another reason, that even though he had already attained chuchmuh <wisdom> tatu'u <lower> (as the Rabbi here told Rabbainu), he wanted to travel to Israel to attain chuchmu eelu'u <supernal wisdom>. And in article 135 Rabbainu revealed that he could have attained everything without going to Israel, except then it would have been untamable (so to speak) pure attainment, but by going to Israel he gained that he could master the attainment so as to even be able to clothe it, which is the difference between Shabbos and the other Holidays, see there.

 

 

135

And this is was is explained in the writings (of the Arizal, see at length in the Siddur of Rabbi Yaakov Kuppel, Shaar Mikru'ay Kodesh; Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 135), that on Sabbath very great additional light (-spirituality) is received (clothed) in garments, whereas on Yom Tov the additional light is smaller than (that of) Sabbath, but it is without garments, and all of this is due to what was explained above, because on Sabbath the ascension of prayer is also complete, and through prayer it is possible to receive all the great and awesome lights (clothed) in garments, which are made and finished through prayer, which is the aspect of faith. Because Sabbath is called Kallah (-bride) because it is killoola (-a composite replete) with kul (everything), as is brought down (see Zohar, Beraishis page 265a, and Shemos page 92a), because faith and prayer, which is the aspect of the sanctity of Sabbath, is a composite replete with all the lights of the world, because all the lights, which are impossible to receive through any knowledge, can be received through faith, the aspect of prayer, which is the aspect of Sabbath, as mentioned above. Whereas on Yom Tov, when the additional sanctity of the very day is just in the aspect of Torah, consequently the light received is not so lofty, and it is without garments, because the main garments and vessels are finished through prayer, as mentioned above.

 

 

 

136 - That first Shabbos he spent in the town of Skulye (-Skelivka?), and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitepesk (who was a mentor of both Rabbi Avrohom Kalisker and the Bal Hatanya. R.M.M.V. moved up to Israel in 5537/1777, and passed away in 5547/1778 (R.A.K.), see also article 32) appeared to him and revealed to him a Kabalistic rite to safely passage on the sea, which is recorded in Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 256.

 

 

article 137, it records that a certain soul of a deceased appeared to Rabbainu then, see there.

 

138 - article 138, it writes that Rabbainu set a precedent with this, and subsequently this became the established way. This is just one example of many things that Rabbainu pioneered and afterwards became a standard practice. This aspect of being a trailblazer is motif of Rabbainu, see e.g. The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 235 and 240 (-Likutay Moharan 86), and Words of Rabbi Nachman 200. Also see another amazing example in the Hebrew notes at the beginning of Sefer Hamidos published in English under the title, Character.

 

 

139-40 This is elaborated on in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 139-140, and Rabbainu revealed there that this is why the Baal Shem Tov (see there regarding Rabbi Naftoli Katz, and in article 12 in the notes, ascribing RNK as the subject of Likutay Moharan 218 – that he saw his impending passing, and tried to hide himself by traveling to Israel, but on the way he was accorded tremendous fanfare, and he passed away) couldn't make it to the Holy Land because he couldn't bring himself down to such littleness, see there. See also article 13.

 

 

In The Life Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 141 it relates that on his passage on the Mediterranean, Rabbainu studied from the books of the Mishna he had with him, see there at length

 

142 - when he would be incapacitated in the place where they would sell him Heaven forbid[9]

 

145 - Also later on, when they were already passed the Diniester River, they were forced to change into the indigenous clothing, and because of this the people thought them to be susceptible to sin G"f, and in Uman they had a test, see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 145.

 

145-6-9 From Yas, Rabbainu went to Teplik, and to Uman, and he visited the Shpoila Zeide (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 145-6 see there at length), and then when he was near Kaniblad, the Magid of Tiruveetzeh ran to greet him, as is recounted in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 149 (R.A.K.). And upon arriving home, he didn't even get off the carriage, but immediately proceeded to visit the Baal Hatanya to arrange a truce between him and Rabbi Avrohom Kalisker so that the Baal Hatanya would resume sending the collected charity to Israel (Avunehu Barzel, Words and Stories of Rabbainu o.b.m. 46).

 

 

175 - However, of himself he said, that if he were to know that he is now on the same height and level as a year ago, he would not be conciliated ("desirous of") with himself at all[10], (and he spoke disparagingly of himself regarding the aforementioned matter if he were to remain in the level of the previous year), just, every time he ascends from level to level.

 

 

181

to which Rabbainu answered with a parable of a King who had wise men with whom he took counsel, and a friend with whom he would play chess (See all of this at length in the addendum to The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 181

 

 

212 - Also note that the Arizal revealed that in the future the halacha will be like the House of Shamai, and Rabbainu revealed that in the future (or at least with regard to the halachos of the future) the halacha will be like the Rambam (See Siach Sarfay Kodesh 2:56), and Rabbainu also said that the halacha is like Rav Nachman, alluding to himself (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 212, and transcripts of Saba Yisroel).

 

 

215 - This seems to be alluding to more than just the aforementioned concept of descent for the sake of ascent, seethe Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 215 (and Yimay Moharnat, vol. 1, article 51) and Likutay Moharan, volume 2, Torah-teaching 78, where Rabbainu revealed that sometimes even the greatest tzadik is forced to detach from Torah study, and in those times he draws life to himself and to the world through his complete simplicity, and this puts him on the paradigm of the unconditional love of Hashem, the aspect of derech eretz which precedes the Torah, which is derech <the way to> eretz <the Holy Land>, and this is why Moshe was praying to enter Israel not on account of his merits but just because of Hashem's free-unconditional kindness. See there at length, because this obviously is what Rabbainu was engaged in now.

[1] See above article 10 and the footnote there citing The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, that since Israel is the highest of the high, one first needs to descend to the lowest littleness.

 

 

215 - And sometimes he swore[11] on this, that he truthfully knows nothing at all[12]

 

215 andn 283 - See the next article #35, and see Words of Rabbi Nachman 3 - about the tachlis (ultimate extent or purpose) of knowledge is not knowing. And see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 215 and 283. And see Yimay Moharnat, vol. 1 article 51.

 

221 - This word is actually found in the Talmud, Kedushin 70b, however in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 221 it says that they prayed in the hamber of the house (and Rabbainu used it as a pun, see there), and the translation given there is terrace.

 

223 - However, the greatness and massiveness of the harsh and enormous suffering that he had at the end of his days for three consecutive years, were yet much, much greater and harsher manifold ("double and quadruple"), unfathomable and beyond any reckoning. And a little of this will be explained elsewhere (see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, the section addressing his trip to Lemberg[13] and the section of his trip and stay in Uman[14], and The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun), if it is Hashem's will, a slight fringe

 

 

225

Rebbe Nachman said that all of his teachings and sayings are not only for us. Rather, “for those who are here standing with us today and for those who are not here with us today” (Devarim 29:14). In other words, it is for the generations that are yet to come. He spoke to us about this many times and he hinted to us in his words to make it known to the future generations… One time when he told us about passing on everything that happened with us and everything we heard from him to our children, he said this verse with great passion like fiery coals, “You should make known to your children and your childrens' children.” And he said, “Know and believe, if its possible to take one person out of the garbage dump, anyone who holds on to that person will come out as well.” [Words of Rabbi Nachman 209; Life of Rabbi Nachman 225]

 

 

Our Rabbi of blessed memory already assured us during his lifetime, and designated two kosher witnesses on this, that when he passes away, when [people] come to his grave and give a penny to charity (*) and say these ten Tehilim/Psalms that we have recorded for remedy for nocturnal emission, Heaven spare us, then our Rabbi himself will span the length and width [of the universe], and will surely save this person. And he said, that he will pull him out of Ge'hinom/hell by his peyos/sidelocks, even regardless of how that person be, and even regardless of what happened, only from now on he must accept on himself to not return to his wicked ways Heaven forbid. And the night before he passed away, he said: "What do you have to worry about, since I go before you; and if the souls who did not know me at all, look forward to my tikunim/remedies, all the more so [should] you" etc. (And likewise even those who were not privileged to know our Rabbi of blessed memory during his lifetime, when they come to his holy grave and rely on him and learn his holy books and accustom themselves to walk in his holy ways that are mentioned in his holy books, surely they have on what to rely. Fortunate are they! Fortunate is their portion! "And none of them that take refuge in Him shall be desolate" [Ps. 34:23], for he already revealed his mind in several terms, explicitly and by hint, that all that he is involved in with us is not only for us, but with "those who are here...and with those who are not here" [Deut. 29:14], as explained further below (see Sichos Haran 209).) (*) Printer's comment [Rabbi Natan]: I heard from Rabbi Naftali z"l, who was one of the two witnesses who Rabbeinu z"l designated on this matter, i.e. Morainu Harav Aharon z"l and Harav Rabbi Naftali as mentioned, that Rabeinu z"l said it then in these words: "When they come to my grave and give a penny to charity for my sake (he means, for remembrance of his holy soul, as commonly practiced), ..." and in Yiddish: "in vet gebin apruta tzedaka fun maynit wegin etc"/and will give a penny of charity for me."

 

 

229 and 322

I have already finished, and I will finish

 

229 see 46

 

 

230

His exertion in the Service of Hashem 1) it is written: that he would frequently take a horse from his father-in-law's house, and he would ride on it to some forest, and there he would come down from the horse and tie it to some tree, and he went into the forest to do his (part), to do hisbodidus there as was his practice. And many times the horse freed itself and fled from his place (back) to the house of his father-in-law. And when they saw there that the horse came back alone, they worried and were very fearful, for they said, certainly he fell from the horse, Heaven forbid. And many times heavy rains fell upon him when he was in the forest, and afterwards he would come home an hour into the night or later. And see below (inside this book, article 28) where I copied down there from his holy words, that in the place where vegetation grows, namely in the field or in the forest, it is very good to do hisbodidus there.

 

 

231

And so it is written in the book "The Life of Rabbi Nachman" (231, His exertion and toil in the service of Hashem 2), that when he was still a little boy, around six years old, he yearned very much to receive Sabbath in great holiness as would be proper. And he went to the bathhouse erev (-the day preceding) Sabbath immediately right after midday, and he ritually immersed himself with alacrity, and came right away to his house and put on his Sabbath clothing, and entered the Bais Medrash (House of Torah Study and usually prayers as well), and went here and there, wanting to draw upon himself the holiness of Sabbath, and the additional Neshama (soul). And he desired to see something, but did not see (anything) at all. In the interim, men began to come into the Bais Medrash, and some important man came and stood near his table where he prayed, which is called in Yiddish a shtender (lectern), and he began to recite Song of Songs, and he (Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman) o.b.m. went, and inserted his head below, inside the shtender, and because he was still a little child, they didn't take issue with him, and he was perched there, and he began to cry before Hashem Yisburach. And he cried very much with a deluge of tears, several hours until the evening, until his eyes became swollen (which is called gishvullin), and afterwards he opened his eyes and it appeared to him as if he saw some sort of aura, because the candles had already been lit, and his eyes were so closed up from crying, and then his mind was somewhat set at ease, see there. And so afterwards, when he got older, he didn't abandon this holy way of his, as I copied down above, that also when he lived in Zlatopole', after he came from the Land of Israel, he went to do hisbodidus outside the city with another man, and he cried then very much before Him Blessed He, until he tarried in his crying almost a complete summer day without cessation.

 

And I heard from my father and teacher o.b.m. (R' Asher Zelig of Teplic), that one time our master, leader, and rabbi zatza"l sat in his room and cried so very profusely before Hashem Yisburach, and the tears rolled down his eyes to the floor, until the floor became so damp from the tears that the heel of his shoe stuck to the floor because of the moisture of the tears. And so I heard further from him, that one time during the holy days of Succos, when our master, leader, and rabbi zatza"l circled the beema (large lectern in middle of the synagogue) with the esrog and his species (-lulav etc.), his men saw afterwards, on the floor, in the place that he went around the beema, the floor was damp from his tears, that he poured out then when he circled the beema.

 

 

 

239 –

And even though he merited to what he merited, even still his prayer and hisbodidus between himself and his Creator was with extreme humility, and with a broken heart, with simplicity, and with temimus, as it is written in the book "The Life of Rabbi Nachman" (239, His exertion and toil in the service of Hashem 10), that one time he was asked by one of the young youths how to do hisbodidus, and he taught him how to say before Hashem Yisburach, 'Master of the World, have mercy on me etc., for is it conceivable that my life go by in such folly, and that this is what I was created for?! [And in Yiddish: Ha-yittuchain az ess zul meer azzuy avvec gen dee velt, bin ich den foon dest veggen bashaffin givvurrin etc.]. Afterwards, at some time, this guy stood behind the walls of Rabbainu o.b.m., and he heard that Rabbainu o.b.m. himself poured out his heart before Hashem Yisburach in similar words.

 

And so too after our master, leader, and rabbi zatza"l said the homily (Likutay Moharan 206), "I have strayed like a lost sheep (Psalms 119:176) etc." where he explains that the way of Hashem Yisburach is to call a person immediately when he sees him straying from the sensible way. There are those that He calls with a hint, and there are those that He calls with an actual calling, and there are those that He kicks and hits, because the Torah proclaims before Him (Zohar vol. 3, 36a, 58a), "Until when will the foolish be attracted after foolish persuasions (Proverbs 1:22)." And the Torah is Hashem Yisburach Himself, that He calls them, and requests them to return to Him. Therefore while he still has not overly strayed from the straight way, then it is possible for him to return with ease, because he still recognizes the voice of Hashem Yisburach and the Torah, and he is familiar with it, for he had recently been with Hashem Yisburach, and he had been hearing His voice – the voice of the Torah – and he still has not forgotten the voice, therefore it is possible for him to return with ease. And this is like the parable of the shepherd, when one sheep strays from the way, then immediately he calls it; and as long as the sheep still hasn't strayed much from the way, then it recognizes the voice and immediately follows it. But when it has strayed a lot from the way, then it has already forgotten the voice of the shepherd, and doesn't recognize it, and the shepherd also despairs from continuing to ask for it, because it was so long since it had went and strayed from him. So too when a person already tarried long, Heaven forbid, in his evil, and he turned and strayed a great deal from the straight way to those crooked and deviating ways, then it is difficult for him to return etc.. And this is (Psalms 119:176), "I strayed like a lost sheep," that is, I strayed from the straight way like a lost sheep that diverged from the way as mentioned above. Therefore I ask from before You (ibid: end of the verse), "request your servant, for Your mitzvos I have not forgotten." That is, You should hasten to call me immediately, as long as I remember, and have not forgotten yet the voice of Your mitzvos etc., see there. And it is written in the book "The Life of Rabbi Nachman" (ibid - 239, His exertion and toil in the service of Hashem 10), that when our master, leader, and rabbi zatza"l revealed this homily, he said to his holy student, the rav, Rabbi Nussun zatza"l, that this homily is now (in these times) his hisbodidus.

 

And if you know and heard a little of his utmost wondrous exertion and toil in the service of Hashem from his very youth (as is explicated somewhat in the books "Words of Rabbi Nachman," and "The Life of Rabbi Nachman"), and his utmost wondrous holy, and awesome, and extremely incredible, perceptions, as is known and understood somewhat to anyone who peruses his holy books, which the world merited to enjoy them, besides his other holy compositions which the world has not merited to enjoy (them), like the books which he ordered to be burned, and his "Hidden Book," in the aspect of (Genesis 1:4 with Rashi), "And G-d saw that the light was good – to put away in concealment, as this is explained elsewhere (The Life of Rabbi Nachman, 169 and onwards; His Trip To Lemberg 3-), aside from 'esoteric wisdom' (Job 11:6) which he merited to perceive, which we did not merit to know from them, even from hearsay (or conveyance/an idea - alone/), just knowledge of their existence alone. And after all this he entered the service of Hashem with such true temimus, to the extent that he said in hisbodidus before Hashem Yisburach, "I have strayed like a lost sheep etc.," in the construct explained in this homily mentioned above. And certainly if you reflect on this, you will be very amazed at the utter temimus of the righteousness of Rabbainu o.b.m.. But in truth, behold this verse itself was said by King David r.i.p. at the end of the eight faces (i.e. Psalms 119, which has eight verses for each letter of the aleph beth), which has in it very awesome and exalted secrets. And who doesn't know and believe in the enormous stature of the level of King David r.i.p., and even still he said of himself, "I have strayed like a lost sheep etc.," for His greatness Blessed He is unfathomable.

 

 

 

article 230: I heard from his holy mouth many times that the fundamental thing is contingent just on exertions, and devotions etc., and through this any person can come to great levels etc., and he said, "I can make a kosher man whom is called a 'gitter yid (-good Jew, i.e. euphemism for a Chasidic master)' mamash like myself."

 

232-3 - he had many, many innumerable great tests in this desire, that he had the ability to fulfill his desire and he was in very extremely great danger, but he was mighty strong and he surmounted his inclination and quashed his desire many (many) times, and even still he would not distance himself a second time to run from a test, just on the contrary, he desired tests, and he would pray to Hashem Yisburach to summon for him tests, because how is it possible for him to do a sin Heaven forbid and transgress the desire of Hashem Yisburach(?!)[15], only if he would become crazy Heaven forbid at that time[16], but since he would have some sort of intellect (in the world) at the time of the test, certainly he would be able to withstand it[17] according to the greatness of the strength of his heart that he was extremely strong in Hashem; and even still when he was confronted with the test, he was in very great danger[18], and he would scream to Hashem Yisburach profusely until he merited to surmount his inclination and to be saved, and even still he did not distance himself from a test another time, even though at the time of the test it was extremely difficult for him as mentioned above. And so it was many (many) times, extremely numerous to no measure, and Hashem Yisburach was to his succor, and he merited to surmount his inclination and to break the conflagration of the inferno

 

Similarly, in Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 72, regarding the great praises of Joseph withstanding the test, Rabbainu says it doesn't mean the simple physical feat of not succumbing to the temptation, but there is a secret to it (-already Rashi points out that the wife of Poateephar showed him that she was really destined to him from Heaven, and she wasn't far off, just, it was her daughter that was destined from him. This already could have imposed a tremendous dilemma and test, and similarly we find with King David and Bas Sheva, that she was really destined for David). Also see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 233, where Rabbainu says that he doesn't understand all the stories of various sages who were tested in this desire, because it should not have been a test at all, and there must be a secret to it.

 

 

 

article 234, that there are tzadikim who broke their (bodily) desires, but they are like a hide which has been tanned which still retains a slightly undesirable smell, however, he merited that his body was completely clean and tanned from all the desires to the extent that it didn't have a trace of odor.

 

 

235 - Also see there article 20 and Likutay Moharan 2:24 that for everyone it is critical that they be joyous the entire day, and just for a selected hour in the day to have a broken-heart, and as to why to Rabbainu was different see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, articles 235 and 236.

 

 

 

 

238 and 240 article 238, once Rabbainu's mother asked him why he doesn't force himself to eat a little, for with what will he live? Rabbainu answered her that he was living then with "the wisdom will give life to its possessor (Koheles 7)," and that he has followers who that have knowledge of such things with which they can live without eating or drinking. And in the brackets there it is written that it is obvious that his intention was that they could live with an extreme minimal amount of consumption. According to the brackets, Rabbainu's mother saw him eating – forcing himself to eat – as it says here, but deemed it too scant and negligible to possibly live on, and she thus tried to get him to eat more. If we do not accept the brackets then we must say that there were different times, sometimes Rabbainu was able to do away with eating altogether (-or at least the minimal amount that is considered eating, as elucidated in a previous note), and at times he needed to eat some very small amount. See the coming paragraph about the little he ate when he was at sea, which previously he didn't even eat that little amount, and contemplate if this allows for the approach of the brackets mentioned above.

Also see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 240, how one time Rabbainu revealed tremendous secrets to his brother Rabbi Yichiel, and his brother was so overcome with emotion, he was crying, and yearning exceedingly with wondrous arousal, to the extent that a few days passed by in which he wasn’t able to eat or sleep etc., he just sat crying heavily from the yearning etc. see there.

 

241 - and he would hide himself there and recite Psalms and he would scream silently[19] to Hashem Yisburach

 

 

245

“I am a beautiful and wondrous tree with great awesome branches, but below I am set firmly in the ground.”

///

I am a very beautiful and wondrous tree with very wondrous branches, and below I am set in the ground mamash

 

246

If I desired to reveal of myself – the entire world would run after me

 

247

“A chidoosh (novelty) like me never existed in the world.”

///

Once, Rabbainu Hakadosh za.tza.l. sat together with his disciple the holy rav, the Maggid (-preacher) of Teerhuveetzeh who was an old man, and had previously been from the elite disciples of the Baal Shem Tov za.tza.l., a friend of the Maggid of Mezritch (-the primary disciple of the Besh”t), and he (Rabbainu) grasped the beard of the aforementioned Maggid in an endearing fashion, and said to him, “A novelty like me has never yet been in the world

 

 

248

the world needs me very very much, because the world is not able to be without me whatsoever

 

250

“The whole world needs me. You (my students) already know how much you need me, however, even all the Tzaddikim need me, for they too need to be benefited. All the nations of the world need me as well.”

 

 

251

I have the ability to return the whole world to propriety, not only the simple people, but even all the tzadikim and great men I can return them to propriety, because also the tzadikim need to be returned to propriety, and not only holy Israelites but even all the nations of the world, all of them, I can return them to Hashem Yisburach,and I could return them to Hashem Yisburach to lead them close to the religion of Israel,however it is sufficient for a servant to be as his Master

 

 

258

I know clearly that I am the sole leader of the generation, and there is no leader like me

 

 

259

There will yet come a time when you will be very rueful for having in your hands such a wondrous novelty and you abandoned him etc.

 

 

260 – reference:

a.      Miforsumim <renown> shel <of> shekehr <falsehood – i.e. prestigious rabbis who are unworthy of their fame, and are thus frauds> vet eer ziyehr bifnayhem nit un kiken <you will not look upon their faces>, eer <you> hut <have> shoyn <already> farzicht <tasted> oongarishen <Hungarian> vine <wine>[20].

 

 

264

He said, I will lead you (plural) in a new way which was never in the world

 

269 and 276 he boasted of himself of his enormous virtue/height in the attribute of humility in the utmost complete (self) nullification[21].

 

 

272

[1] In The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman article 272, Rabbi Nachman is quoted as asserting that he is "saba disabin," and Rabbi Nussun offers a deep insight into this, see there. However, his insight avoids recognition of the most apparent inference to the holy soul who reveals great secrets to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in the Zohar, this soul is attributed to Adam, and this would concur with the Breslov tradition that Rabbi Nachman attained the soul of Adam which had departed from him as he decided to sin. Today it is popular to say that Rabbi Nachman was asserting that he was this exact soul. This may or many not be, I am not privy to such high secrets. The title "saba disabin" most probably denotes a correlation to the Divine Countenance of Erech Anpin which the Zohar also refers to as "saba disabin" (see the explanation in Adir Bamurom page 114), however, one must be very aware not to confuse the two, one being a soul created by G-d, and the latter being an actual Divine Countenance.

 

 

 

282-3 see 215 - to merit to a higher level of the tachlis of not knowing, and so forth forever. (And this is already explained a little in our words elsewhere[22])

 

See The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 282, Rabbainu said that he had just gained knowledge that the tachlis of knowledge is not knowing, means really not knowing, and this is something that seems obvious and cannot be explained, but was a new understanding, and even though he had now attained this understanding he still knows nothing, because previously he had also thought that he had come to this tachlis of not knowing and yet only now he understands that it is to really not know, and he had been very far from this new comprehension, see there.

 

 

293

What have you (-there is no need for you) to contemplate strategies, you only need to provide stones and mortar, and I build from them wondrous and awesome structures. And he protracted the word “structures” to aggrandize the praise of the wonders of the splendor of the awesome structures he builds with this

 

294-5

And he said, behold I am a treasure house of fear of Heaven, so why are they not avidly running after me to receive it. And they asked him, how is it possible to receive, and he answered, with the mouth and the heart, it is necessary to tunnel and request

 

296

I want to reveal and imbue fear (of Heaven) in my men, wondrous fear (of Heaven) that as of yet there has never been fear (of Heaven) such as this in the world

 

 

300

He said, behold, also he who touches me a bit, even with a small finger – there is no measure to his virtue

 

314

The most inferior of my men I lead him in the way of a very great tzadik etc.

 

 

322 (also see 229)

Whoever will draw close to the men of my persuasion, and even he who just touches them, will certainly be a truly kosher (-upright) person, and not just a kosher person, but even a very great tzadik, he will be, he who merits to draw close to my men

 

 

332

“I am a river that purifies all stains.”

///

He said, I am a river which purifies (from) all stains

 

 

339

In the future the entire world will be men of Breslov. “I will put in you (plural) lev <a heart> bussar <of flesh> (Yechezkel 11:19, 36:26)” - letters (of ‘lev busar’ are the same as:) Breslov

 

 

346

“You should constantly review my teachings until you know them by heart.”

 

 

350

“All my teachings are introductions.” [Words of Rabbi Nachman 200] “My teachings are completely ideational aspects.”

 

 

 

359  - "Rectifications of the Zohar," this work reveals 70 ways of understanding the first word of the Torah: Biraishis (See Sichos HuRan- Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 285). Rabbainu revealed (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 359) that this work is much loftier than the rest of the Zohar, and he revealed that it includes all the wisdoms of the world (Ibid 364, Sichos HuRan – Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 128) and he extolled it immensely, and studied it frequently throughout the year (Ibid).

 

 

364

The Life Of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman

364

(25) One time I (Rabbi Nussun) spoke with him (Rabbainu NNNNM) about the Kabballah of the Ar”i (-Lion, acronym, The Godly Rabbi Yitzchok[23]) o.b.m., and he said that the Kabballah of the Arizal is completely in unison with the Kabballah which our Teacher Rav Moshe Kordivero (Rama”k) o.b.m. composed. After some years, it reoccurred that I spoke with him about the Kabballah which the Arizal revealed, and he said that his Kabballah is distant and extremely superior from the Kabballah of the author of the Pardess[24] o.b.m.. And I stood aghast, and I asked him fearfully, “Did I not hear from your (-respectful plural) mouth once that really it is all one?” And he answered, “Presumably if I said that, I knew what I said.” And the words are seemingly incognizable and sealed. However, he who has a heart to understand, can comprehend from afar that everything is correct, and his words are living and enduring, and everything is true and upholding, and correct, and enduring[25], and just. Because in truth certainly everything is one in the immanence (-pineemeyus) of the faith, in the real truth. However, even still, the way of the revelation of the secrets of the Arizal is far and very superior from the ways of the Pardess, even though in real truth it is all one. And it is impossible to elaborate on this matter because (Proverbs 25:2), “The honor of G-d is the hidden matter,” “And the keenly wise will understand (Daniel 12:10).”[26]

 

(26[27]) He (Rabbi Nachman) related that he knew all the words/matters of the Aitz Chaim, and Pree Aitz Chaim, and all the (other) writings of the Arizal, and the Book of the Zohar, and most importantly the Tikunim (-Tikunay Zohar). And it was understood from his words that this was in the days of his youth. And several times he very radically praised the greatness of the holiness of the Tikunay Zohar. And he would frequently engage in it exceedingly, even the whole year, even not in the days of (the month of) Elul[28]. And he said that in the book of the Tikunim are included all the wisdoms of the world.

 

 

 

372 - Thus Rabbainu said (The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 372) that there was no limb of a person upon which he did not say Torah, see there, because Torah comes by virtue of humility (Likutay Moharan 14, and many other places).

 

 

381

He said, if the Bal Shem Tov would hear my Torah it would be a novelty to him as well, if Ra.sh.b.i. (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) would hear my Torah it would also be a novelty even then

 

383 - about listing the many books he authored after his name. And also regarding what Rabbainu said (introduction to Yaalas Chain pg. 26) that there will come a time that they will print his book with commentaries surrounding it, like the Talmud with the commentaries of Rashi and Tosfos, and so in fact they did.

 

 

392

“How could they not oppose me, for I walk a new path, one that no man has ever walked before, nor any creature since the time the Torah was received. Even though it is a very old path, nevertheless it is completely new.”

////

How is it possible for them not to oppose me, being that I go in a new way that as of yet no man has went in it ever etc., even though it is an (extremely) ancient way, even still it is completely new

 

394

“There are those who are against me yet they don’t even know me at all. This is as it says in the Zohar, when the Torah states that Pharaoh said to the Egyptians, “Let’s outsmart the Jews.” Could it be that he went to each and every citizen to personally relate this message? Rather he inserted it into their hearts.”

 

395

I heard from Rabbi Yudel the retelling of the things he heard from Our Rabbi o.b.m.. He spoke up and said: Abraham our forefather also had tremendous suffering from such stories (i.e. like the matter of the stories and suffering which transpired over him). Because Abraham our forefather also drew the youth close to Hashem Yiburach. For he converted converts as is known (Biraishis Rabba 39). And his way was, that he would come inside an city, and he would run inside the city, and he would shout, ‘oy oy, gevald gevald’. And they would run after him like people chase after a madman, and he would make copious claims with them that they all were in great errors, because he was an expert in all the logic and explanations of the ways of their idolatry, because the idolatry of the early ones, they had with it many fallacious explanations and logic. And Abraham our forefather r.i.p. was very proficient in all their explanations and the ways of their errors. And he would prove to them and show them that it was all a mistake, and he revealed to them the true holy faith. And a few of the youth were drawn to follow him, because old people he would not draw close, because the elderly were already rooted in their many mistakes and it is difficult to return them yet from their ways, just the youth were drawn and ran/wanted to follow him. And he would go from city to city and they ran/wanted to follow him. And their fathers and their wives would oppose them – against these youth, because they said about them that they went out to a bad culture and became apostates, to the extent that they extremely alienated them. To the extent that some of the youth returned to their persuasions because of the suffering they had from their homes, from their in-laws, and their father, and their wives and so forth, and some of them remained by him and bonded to him.

And Abraham our forefather would engage abundantly in this, to reveal the holy faith in the world. And he would compose very many books on this, thousands of books. And he had many sons, and probably, since they were his sons, they all went in the straight (-proper) path, because even Ishmael repented (Bava Basra 16b). However, afterwards, when Abraham our forefather wanted to leave over his books and his wisdom in the world, he analyzed and contemplated to himself to which of his sons he should leave his books and his wisdom, until he came to the decision to leave everything to Isaac our forefather, and he gave over to him everything.

And afterwards, Isaac also went in this way, and he converted many converts, and composed also very many books in the matter of strengthening the holy faith. And he also contemplated to which of his sons he should leave his books and his wisdom, because Esau as well was good in his eyes, and misled him to the extent that he (-Isaac) loved him, as is explained in the Scripture, as it says (Genesis 25), ‘And Isaac loved Esau because he was a hunter with/for his mouth’, as Rashi explains there, that he would trick his father with his words, and he (Esau) would ask him, ‘father, how does one tithe salt’ etc.. But nevertheless, Isaac contemplated in his mind until it became clear to him that the main thing is Jacob, and he gave over to him everything.

And so Jacob as well engaged in this, to draw the youth close to Hashem Yisburach, and he composed many thousands of books in the matter of the faith, because he composed a great many books in the matter of the holy faith, a stupendous (-exaggerated) amount of books. And he learned with all his sons the ways of the holy faith, because they were all tzadikim (-righteous). But even still, he analyzed with his mind to whom to give over all his wisdom, until he gave over all his wisdom to Levi. And to all of them he gave over an outline (‘chapter headings’). And therefore the tribe of Levi were bound and strong with the holy faith more than all of them. And therefore the tribe of Levi did not err in the (golden) calf, and also they did not have upon them any servitude of Egypt, because the tribe of Levi were strong in the holy faith, more than all of them.

And afterwards he spoke about the matter of the remedy for a person to merit to come to him after his passing etc. [and it is explained elsewhere – previously in ‘New Stories’ at the end of article 21 (article 101).

 

403

Rabbi Nachman said: “My Rosh Hashana is more important than everything. So its wondrous to me, why my followers who do believe in me, so why don't they warn all those that are drawn to me, that they should all be by me for Rosh Hashana, no one is exempt. For my entire matter is just Rosh Hashana. And he (Rabbi Nachman) warned that an announcement should be broadcasted that whom so ever that is inclined to his directives and is close to him, should be by him for Rosh Hashana, no one should be missing. And whomever merits to be by him for Rosh Hashana is befitting to be very very happy.

 

 

404

Eat or don't eat, sleep or don't sleep, pray or don't pray; just make sure to be by me for Rosh Hashana!

 

 

405

My Rosh Hashana is a great novelty. The Blessed G-d knows that this matter isn't an inheritance from my fathers, just the Blessed G-d gave me this as a present, that I know what Rosh Hashana is. Not only all of you are completely contingent on my Rosh Hashana, even the whole entire world is contingent on my Rosh Hashana.

 

 

430 - because his way was not to be very stubborn over anything etc.[29]

 

 

436

When he (Rabbi Nachman) made known the matter of hisbodidus and conversing between oneself and his Creator, our teacher, the rav, the tzadik Rabbi Nussun zatza”l spoke with him, and asked him: Behold a person has free choice (- t.n. so how can simply relating matters to Hashem effectuate the changes which should be incumbent on the person himself to achieve)? And he did not answer him explicitly, just offhandedly, as if to say, even still. That is to say, that is impossible to explain this matter to you completely, (and) even still it is necessary to practice this. And our teacher, Rabbi Nussun zatza”l, was not able to question any further, because he knew that this question could be asked also pertaining the prayers that were already set for us by our Rabbis o.b.m. addressing repentance and drawing close to Hashem Yisburach, like the blessing “Hasheevainu” (-of the 18 benedictions, return us in repentance) and so forth. (Life of Our Master Rabbi Nachman, article 436; And see below, article 93, what I brought down from the book Likutay Halachos, Choshen Mishpat, laws of deposit, law 3).

 

 

 

437

He said: It is good for a person to say during hisbodidus, when he is secluding himself with his Creator, he should say: “Today I begin to bind (divaikus) to You.” And every time he should initiate a beginning, because all continuations follow after the beginnings. And even the rationalist scientists say that the beginning is paramount to half of the phenomenon of the entire process. Consequently, either way he should make a new start every time, and he should say as mentioned above, for either way (mima nafshuch); if it was good before – now it will be better, and if Heaven forbid beforehand it was not good – certainly it is necessary and incumbent to launch a new beginning.

 

 

439

On the last Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Years) in Uman, his wise grandson, the son of his righteous daughter Mistress Sara o.b.m., Master Israel, was by him. And his grandson was still a young boy, three or four years old, and at that time Rabbainu's o.b.m. sickness was very critical, for it was close to his passing away, for he passed away right afterwards on Chol HaMoed (intermediate days of) Succos. And Rabbainu o.b.m. said to his aforementioned grandson, “Yisroel, pray for me to Hashem Yisburach that I should return to my health.” He replied (to him), “Give me your watch and I will pray for you.” Rabbainu o.b.m. responded, “Did you (plural – addressing everyone present) see that he is already a 'Good Jew' (an appellation reference for a Chasidic Master), for he is ordering that I give him an item in order that he pray.” And he gave (it) to him. And the boy took the watch, and he progressed and said these words, “G-d, G-d, luz <let> der <the> zaide <grandfather> zayn gizund <be healthy>.” And the people standing there began to laugh. Rabbainu o.b.m. responded, “This is the way necessary to beseech from Hashem Yisburach, and how is there any other way to pray to Hashem Yisburach?!” That is to say, that this is the main (method of) prayer to Hashem Yisburach, with utter simplicity, like an infant before his father, like a person speaks to his friend.

 

 

440

He said, even when one is unable to speak during hisbodidus, just the word “Master of the World” alone, this is also very good. (And see above, article 2, elucidated that even the preparation alone, that one prepares himself to speak but cannot speak at all, is also very good.) And he said, that it is possible to recognize on a person if he does hisbodidus. (Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 440) [And regarding this see the Introduction and below article 58].

 

 

 

441

To one person, Rabbainu o.b.m. ordered that he should do hisbodidus, one period in the day, and one period in the night. Once Rabbainu o.b.m. asked one of his followers if he was accustomed to groaning and sighing, which is called 'krechtzin', when he does hisbodidus. And he replied (to him), “yes.” And Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him, “When I make a groan or a sigh, if I am holding my hand on the table at the time of the sigh, then is it impossible afterwards for me to lift my hand from the table, and I need to wait some time (hour) until my strength is restored (see Brachos 58b, and Likutay Moharan 22 and 109, and in the additional handwritten torahs published at the end, Rabbainu uses the word NeNaCh - sighing). Once Rabbainu o.b.m. grasped the rav, the tzaddik, Rabbi Shmuel Isaac o.b.m. against his heart, and said to him, “Because of a little blood such as this (i.e. the vascular of the heart) you will abolish this world and the next world.” And in Yiddish, “Ibber a bisselleh blit zulst uhn verin dey velt uhn yenne velt; krechtz dus ois,” accustom yourself to sigh a lot before Hashem Yisburach, until you are relieved of this blood, and put down the evil in it, and you merit to the aspect of (Psalms 109:22), “And my heart is hollow inside of me.”

 

Once, Rabbainu o.b.m. spoke with Rav Yaakov Yosef regarding the service of Hashem, as was his practice always, and he told him a parable of a king who sent his son far away to learn wisdoms. Afterwards the son came to the king's house erudite in all the wisdoms. Once, the king commanded the son to take a certain extremely large stone (like a millstone) and carry it up to the higher floors of the house, and probably the son was unable to carry and lift the stone, because it was a very large and heavy stone. And the son was anguished for not being able to fulfill the desire of his father the king, until the king revealed to him afterwards his purport, and said to him, “Is it conceivable to you that I would command you something so arduous like this to take the stone as it is and carry it and lift it; are you able to do such a thing with your great wisdom?! Rather my entire intention was that you should take a sledgehammer and bash and break apart the stone into small pieces, and in this way you would be able to bring it up to the higher floor.” Similarly, Hashem Yisburach commanded us (Lamentations 3:41) that we lift our hearts up to hands (stretched out) to G-d in heaven, and our hearts are very large and heavy stone (heart), and it is impossible to lift by any means, just, by taking a hammer, which is speech, and through this it is possible to bust and break apart the heart of stone, and then we are able to lift it to Hashem Yisburach, and understand (this).

 

Another time Rabbainu o.b.m. spoke about the necessity to engage abundantly in the recital of Psalms, and entreaties, and beseeching, and hisbodidus etc.. And the rav, the tzaddik, Rabbi Yuddel zatza”l asked him, “How does one garner heart (meaning to say, how does one merit that the words will be with arousal of the heart)?” Rabbainu o.b.m. answered him, “Tell me, by which tzaddik did you receive arousal of the heart? The main thing is the speaking with the mouth, words of entreaty and beseeching, and the arousal of the heart will come of itself.

 

 

442

 

To one of his greatest followers, in the youth of this follower he instructed him, that during his hisbodidus he should speak a great deal individually with all the limbs of his body, and he should explain to them that all the desires of the body – (are) emptiness, for behold the end of every man is death, and the body is brought to burial, and all the limbs will decay and rot etc., and additional words similar to these. And he practiced this for some time, and afterwards he spoke with Rabbainu o.b.m. and he apologized before him that his body doesn't listen or feel whatsoever all his argumentation and words with it. Rabbainu o.b.m. said to him, “be strong in this matter and do not let up from this, and you will see afterwards what will be from these words.” And he heeded his advice and fulfilled his words, until he merited afterwards, that every single limb which he spoke to individually was so drawn to his words, to the extent that mamash (-actually) all the life would leave the limb he was speaking with, and remained with out any vitality or sensation. And this he saw empirically in his external limbs such as his fingers and toes and so forth, until he began to speak with his inner organs which are vital, such as the heart and so forth, he needed to be very succinct in order that his life wouldn't expire mamash, as mentioned.

 

And I heard that once, this person spoke with those close to him about how this world isn't anything, and what is the tachlis (-purpose, end) of all the matters of the body etc. as mentioned above, and in the middle of speaking he fainted and began to die (and in Yiddish: he remained weak), and with ardent effort he revived and returned to life. And he said then that he merited through the holiness of Rabbainu o.b.m. to this (spiritual) level that whenever he reminds himself well of the fear of (Heavenly) retribution and the end and the tachlis of all the matters of this world, then all his limbs, even the smallest of his toes, feel mamash like they are already lying (in the grave) and rotting etc., to the extent that he needs to greatly bolster himself to retain his life inside of him, (so) that his soul does not depart mamash, as mentioned above. And I heard in the name of Rabbainu o.b.m. that he said to several other people as well, “Because your body is very coarse and strong with desires, therefore darft eer <you must> un dulen <badger/burden/exhaust> with holy words regarding the tachlis.” And accordingly it is understood that it is also necessary to speak with oneself at great length in the matter of encouragement, so that he shouldn't abate completely, Heaven forbid (And see above, article 16). (Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 442).

 

 

479 - by reading or hearing these stories we are drawn closer to purer and more supernal realms, and we bond and gain attachment to the tzadik, and we effect many more extremely valuable and important things[30]

 

 

499 - The way of the Baal Shem Tov was not to keep any money from one day to the next, and even on his attempted voyage to Israel he kept this practice. However, Rabbainu revealed that by the extremely great tzadikim like our forefathers, they did in fact hold on to their money, and this was even a bigger challenge for them

 

 

510 and 587

In addition, it is written in his holy words (article 275, see also Life of Rabbi Nachman 587), that it is good for a person, when he lies down in his bed to sleep, to accustom himself to pour out his words before Hashem Yisburach and to request from Him that He draw him close to His service Blessed He. And if he doesn't merit then to speak outright before Him Blessed He due to the preponderance of his stone heart, in any event he should accustom himself to sigh and groan, many groans continuously one after the other, over his great distance from Hashem Yisburach and that he should merit to draw close to Him Blessed He (Life of Rabbi Nachman 510, and see below article 47). And it is already laid out in his holy book Likutay Moharan many torahs (teachings; 8, 22:4, 56:9) what one can merit through a holy sigh, see there.

 

 

 

514 - Rabbi Sholom Shachna of Provisht, son of R' Avrohom Malach, son of the Maggid of Mezritch. He lived: 1769- 13 Tishray 1802, and Rabbainu spoke of the great darkness which came to the world after his passing and which caused him stomach pains for three days (hashmatos of The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 514). Rabbainu praised him as cited above and in the The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 553 (see there in the additions, article 135, which is from the introduction to Stories from Rabbi Moshe Glidman), and elsewhere.

 

 

519

And this is what we see that this (person) has vast wealth, and this (other person) is poor and very poverty stricken – all is from Him blessed He according to the becheera (free choice) of each and every one, as is known (Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 300; Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 519; see also Rabbi Nachman's Legendary Stories, the beginning of the story of the Prayer Leader), and (Psalm 145:17 – verse starting with the letter Tzadi – righteous (verse 16, which begins with the letter Peh, is a culmination of verse 15, expressing how Hashem actually satiates willfully)),

 

 

526

(And someone who prays with the kavanos (intentions) of the Kabbala for the words of the prayer, and he is not worthy of this, it is a great defect etc. (Words of Rabbi Nachman articles 75 and 249; Life of Rabbi Nachman 526, avodas Hashem – the service of Hashem 83), see there).

 

 

537

He said regarding the renown leader whom are fraudulent; because upon the ‘bal duvur’ (litigator – Satan) it is very difficult to labor with the entire world to mislead them from the straight (-upright) way, therefore he placed one renown leader in a certain place and one renown leader in a certain place

 

 

538

He said regarding the men of his persuasion, that it is difficult for them to elevate themselves to lead with rabbinate and superiority, because I imbued them with abundant truth, more than sufficient

 

 

539 that Rabbainu said that were he to have a tzadik worthy of making a pidyon for him, he would give him a pidyon every day and every time, see there.

 

 

545

Additionaly it is brought down there (Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 545), that once, our teacher the rav, Rabbi Nussun zatza”l said to our Master and Leader, Rabbainu Hakadosh (-the holy) zatza”l, complaining (Psalms 69:4), “I have become exhausted with my calling out (to You), my throat has become parched (hoarse), my eyes longing disappointed, hoping to my G-d.” And our Master and Leader, Rabbainu zatza”l lifted his hands slightly and said in a soft tone, “If so, what can be done?” That is to say, for certainly it is forbidden to have suspicion of Him Blessed He, and certainly Hashem is righteous. Afterwards he (Rabbi Nachman) said to him, “Behold, if King David r.i.p. said, 'I have exhausted myself with my calling out (to You), my throat has become parched (hoarse)', it literally was so, that he had called out so much until he was mamash (-actually) fatigued and exhausted with his calling, and his throat was mamash parched (hoarse), literally, but you, thank G-d, are still strong etc..

 

546

He spoke about the matter of the battles of the kings who war one on another for some sort of conquest, and they spill a lot of blood baselessly etc.. And he said that already many fallacies were voided from the world, what they were mistaken and confused about in the early generations [like the matters of idolatries which they slaughtered their children to Molech and so forth, many matters of fallacies which abounded in the early generations], and now many fallacies were voided, but this mistake and this confusion of wars has still not been nullified. And he would mock their wise men, and he said in an expression of scoffing, that they are great scholars and they contemplate and analyze with their wisdom how to make wondrous weapons which can kill thousands of souls in one instant, is there a greater fallacy than this, to eradicate and to kill many souls baselessly?

 

553 - Of Medzhybizh, the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, and the uncle of Rabbainu. He lived: 5517/1757-5571/1811 (R.A.K.). Rabbainu praised him profusely in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 553 and numerous other places.

 

 

569

Rabbi Nussun writes that Rabbi Nachman told him how a person came over to him complaining bitterly about how terrible he is, and that despite years of attempting to better himself and draw close to Hashem Yisburach, he is still so terrible. Rabbi Nachman replied to this person, "I have no one to talk to, because you are already completely bad." The person immediately was aroused and answered, "But behold even still sometimes I surmount to draw myself to the holiness of an Israelite etc.." To this Rabbainu replied, "That is a little bit." And Rabbainu immediately instructed him to go with the Torah-lesson of Azamru. Rabbi Nussun writes that he understood Rabbainu's intention, that precisely in this way Rabbainu was able to revivify this person who had fallen so far that nothing could revitalize him, only by pronouncing him to be completely lost and bad, by this the person came around on his own, and began to realize the holiness of some of the good points that he did in fact have, and then Rabbainu directed him to practice the Torah-lesson Azamru.

 

593

The main thing is to be happy always, and one should make himself happy however possible, usually this is only attainable though foolish things, to act as if he is crazy and do silly funny things or to jump around and dance, in order to come to happiness which is a very great thing. [Life of Rabbi Nachman 593; Likutay Moharan 24, 48]

 

 

Addendums:

 

Moharna"t (acronym for: Our Teacher HaRav <The Rabbi> Nussun) asked Rabbainu za.tza.l. why he conceals himself (-his greatness) from before the Rav of Berdichev. And he replied, "To draw close to me, he cannot, except if he kindles the pipe for me, and this is not possible!"[31]

 

---

[1] The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 15.

[2] On the Jewish New Years of the year 5567 (which fell out on Saturday and Sunday – 1807), Rabbi Nachman gave over a teaching in which he revealed the concept, source, root, and power of stories from Ancient Time (this awesome discourse is recorded in Likutay Moharan – A Collection of the Teachings of Our Master Rabbi Nachman, Torah-teaching 60. In the summer preceding, Rabbi Nachman had begun to reveal the stories, and had told over the first story of the Loss of a Princess).

[3] The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 46 and 229, and elsewhere.

[4] Rabbainu wrote to Saba Yisroel, in the holy Petek, that this exclamation was referring to him.

[5] See Sichos HuRan – Words of Rabbi Nachman 173-4 and The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 55.

[6] This can mean internally, within the body, and externally, on the body surface, and it can also mean both types of pain, physical and mental anguish. R.A.K. referenced here The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 115, where Rabbainu said he suffered double hell in his two years in Zlotipolia, this is referring I think mainly to the adversary that he had there. R.A.K. also referenced here to Yimay Moharnat – The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun, article 11, where shortly after the death of Rabbainu's son, Rabbainu spoke of enormous pain and suffering he has from all sides, from both within and outside, and it continues to explain there, within, refers to his severe sickness and other excruciating pain, and outside, refers to the tremendous adversary against him for no reason, besides for all types of other pain that he was constantly enduring, see there.

[7] The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 134.

[8] The Talmud in Kesuvos (111a) says that one who walks four cubits in the Land of Israel is a ben (-affiliate-worthy) of the future world (R.A.K.). Rambam, Laws of Kings and Their Wars 5:11. The Arizal revealed special Kabalistic intentions to have – Shaar HaKavanos, Drushay HaAmida 2 on the word Elokaynu. And see Likutay Moharan 116 and 129. Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Laws of Blessings on Fruit 4:4. The Ohr Hachaim (Deuteronomy 3) says that this is what Moshe Rabbainu prayed for. See also Zimras Hu'uretz (by Rabbi Nachman of Tcherin) ends of 4, 5, 21, 2:39 and 18, 24, 2:40.

[9] See The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 142. And see Parporu'oas Lichuchmu and Ebay Hanachal on Likutay Moharan volume 2, Torah 78, And see Likutay Moharan 54 [Here Rabbainu reveals something that tzadikim do which normal people cannot but nevertheless they effectuate it by wearing talis and tefilin], (R.A.K.).

[10] The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 175.

[11] On the night of Shabbos Nachamu (-consolation, the Shabbos after the grieving of the 9^th of Av) 5570/1810, The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 215. Yimay Moharnat, vol. 1 article 51.

[12] See The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 215.

[13] Rabbainu travelled there about three years before his passing, and he was extremely sick there and almost passed away there.

[14] R.A.K. references specifically to The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 223.

[15] This is also brought down in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 232. This needs further study because the Talmud (Sanhedrin 107a) teaches that one should not ask to be tested, and perhaps the answer Rabbi Nachman provided (see the last footnote on article 15 ) regarding his making vows that it was referring only to shlimazels applies to this as well, because even though the Talmud says that even King David erred in this, the Talmud also says that King David's error was only to serve as a lesson that one can repent, therefore there is room to say that one who is absolutely certain of himself would be permitted (Likutay Nanach 590:5, and see there in the Remazim 443).

Also see the commentary of Bayur Halikutim on Likutay Moharan 22, who deals with this question.

[16] The Talmud (Sotah 3) in fact asserts that a person only sins because of a spirit of fallacy which enters him, and see the first Torah-teaching of Likutay Moharan which asserts that the evil inclination seeks to make a person crazy, literally (Also see Avunehu Barzel, Words and Stories of Rabbainu 62).

[17] Also see Sichos HuRan – Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 51, that the intellect of a person can stand up against all the desires, and also in Likutay Moharan, volume 2, Torah-teaching 8, that the three minds which are correspond and are acquired by the three daily prayers, are partitions which keep the desires out.

[18] This is also brought down in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 233, and Rabbi Nussun writes in Likutay Halachos (Orach Chaim, Nefeelas Apayim 6:8) that he heard from Rabbainu, that when a person is tested he is deprived of his daas (-realization of knowledge) for other it would not be a test, as Rabbainu explains here, and in Likutay Moharan (72) that when a person has clear daas no temptation can sway him.

[19] This technique is explained in Sichos HuRan – Words of Rabbi Nachman article 16, and see also The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 241.

[20] See the parable this is referring to in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 260.

[21] See all of this in Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 147, and also see Torah-teaching 4:7. And see The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 269 and 276.

[22] Sichos HuRan – Words of Rabbi Nachman 3, Yimay Moharnat vol. 1 article 51, The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 282-3.

[23] It is fascinating to note that in The Praises of Rabbi Nachman, part 2, which records the highlights of Rabbainu’s voyage to Israel, including the different tombs of tzadikim he visited, it does not mention that he visited the tomb of the Arizal even though Rabbainu was in Tsfas (-Safed).

[24] One of the classics of the Ramak. Pardess means orchard, alluding to the field of the esoteric. It is also acronym for all of the four main categories of the study of the Torah (pshat, remez, drush, soad).

[25] These adjectives are found in the blessing said after the Shema in the morning prayer.

[26] The Ramchal actually explains very simply, clearly, and succinctly that the Ramak spoke only in general terms of the Sefiros, whereas the Arizal spoke of their particular qualities as they are manifested in the Partzufim (countenances). See Klach Pischay Chuchmuh – 138 Gates of Wisdom, Gateway 17, and Maamar HaVeekuach (Exposition of Disputation, published in the beginning of Shaaray Ramchal), articles 83-4. Probably Rabbi Nussun did not have access to most of the manuscripts of the Ramchal. It is also probable that even if he had he would still have chosen to conceal the matter and keep the difference amorphous and obscure, for in this way the holy methods retain strong allure and appeal, and they are not reduced to a slotted cold classification. Nevertheless from here we can gain insight into the important role the Ramchal can play in providing much groundwork and background to the holy teachings of Rabbainu. The connection between the Ramchal and Rabbainu is well established and elaborated upon in Likutay Nanach and elsewhere.

[27] Printed in Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 128.

[28] There is a custom to read the entire Tikunay Zohar during the month of Elul until Yom Kippur. See Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 127.

[29] There is actually an entire section in The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, dedicated to this principle, articles 430-435, and see there article 222. Yimay Moharnat (The Days of Our Teacher Rabbi Nussun) 39; Avunehu Barzel, Words and Stories of Rabbainu o.b.m. 18 (R.A.K.).

[30] See Likutay Moharan, Torah-teachings 60, 234, and 248, and Sefer Hamidos (published in English under the title: Character), Clothing 2:1, Thoughts 4, Messiah 2:1, Tzadik 157, 174, 186, 2:1, and The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman 479, and Likutay Tefilos 105.

[31] Siach Sarfay Kodesh (5:52) has a slightly different version, and actually offers an original quotation of the Yiddish words Rabbainu reputedly said (I'm not sure if this makes it more reliable…) – Rabbainu said that if he wanted to reveal himself (-at large), the gadol hador (-greatest Rabbi of the generation) would have to attend to him and bring forth the fiery coal and kindle his pipe, and this cannot possibly happen.

Further insight into this can be drawn from the third addendum to The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman which recounts how Rabbainu's grandfather, Rabbi Nachman of Hordenka lit the pipe of the Bal Shem Tov, fully prostrating himself in the process, his sister was very disturbed by this, and he told her, "What can I tell you of his greatness? If you would know of his greatness you would say he was the Holy One Blessed He, Himself, but I, having more daas (realization of knowledge) than you, I know that he serves the Holy One Blessed He."